ORGANISERS of the Mangotsfield Village Festival have cancelled this year’s event.
The decision not to go ahead was taken at a meeting in March of the volunteer committee that plans and organises the festival.
The free event attracted around 3,000 visitors last year, but immediately afterwards there was a warning that it could be the last, if new volunteers could not be found to help run it.
A number of long-standing committee members, including previous chair Paul Mallorie, stepped down in the autumn.
Another committee member, Madeleine Bills, then volunteered to take on the chair’s role, and the team set about organising a festival for June 13.
But the organisers have found sponsorship hard to secure, raising fears that there could be a shortfall of up to £3,000 in funding for the festival, which costs around £17,000 to put on.
Madeleine, who has been on the committee for around 12 years, said: “We’ve always made sure we’ve got enough money in the bank to pay for the event, even if it poured with rain.
“We were finding sponsorship quite hard to get and felt there could be a shortfall, which would fall on us.”
Visitors to last year’s event enjoyed music, dancing, displays, fairground stalls and competitions including a dog show at Pomphrey Hill North playing fields, off Johnson Road in Emersons Green.
Madeleine said the funding secured this year would have only covered a much smaller event.
She said: “Rather than do an event where we had to curb everything because of costs, we felt it would be better to do a good event next year.
“If we do a poor event this year, it would be harder to get back the following year.”
The committee is already planning to bring the festival back for its 34th staging next year – but also needs volunteers to commit to helping out to make sure it happens, both throughout the year and on the weekend of the festival itself.
Madeleine said this included young volunteers to help with publicising the festival on social media during the run-up, a team of around eight people to set up on the day before the event and about ten to help take the stages, marquees, bunting and other equipment down at the end of the event.
She said: “We will definitely be there next year, but like all things it’s going to be an uphill job to get back.”
Emersons Green Town Council and Staple Hill & Mangotsfield Parish Council both supported the festival financially last year.
Town council clerk Jo Bryant said the committee had taken a “difficult but responsible decision”, adding: “The Town Council remains committed to supporting the Village Festival wherever possible.
“Officers and members of Emersons Green Town Council will continue to work closely with members of the festival committee to support fundraising efforts and volunteer recruitment, with the aim of helping to ensure a successful event in 2027.”
Anyone who would like to help make sure next year’s festival goes ahead can volunteer by emailing chair@mangotsfieldfestival.co.uk or calling 07955 184003.